“Avatar: The Way of Water” and the horror “M3GAN” outperformed new releases like “Plane” and “House Party” at the box office this weekend. According to studio estimations, the two holdovers topped the charts once more on Sunday.
James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequel took first place for the sixth weekend in a row, with an estimated $31.1 million through Sunday. This figure is expected to rise to $38.5 million by the end of Monday’s Martin Luther King holiday. The film’s domestic total is now $562.9 million (the 13th highest of all time), and its global total is $1.89 billion as of Sunday. “Avatar 2” needs to surpass $1.92 billion to surpass “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which is presently the sixth highest-grossing film worldwide.
“There were so many skeptics and such high expectations that opening weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Avatar,’ a James Cameron film, is rocketing the domestic and worldwide box office charts at a breakneck pace. “I believe he was always aware that this would be a $2 billion film.”
Doll Killer M3GAN Hits Number 2
Second place belongs to Universal and Blumhouse’s “M3GAN,” which grossed $17.9 million through Sunday and an estimated $21.2 million, including Monday, in its second weekend in theatres. The low-budget thriller, which reportedly cost $12 million to make, has grossed $59.8 million in North America.
Ticket sales for horror films generally declined dramatically in the second weekend, but “M3GAN” only plummeted 41%. That, according to Dergarabedian, is nearly unheard of for a horror film and has “world-class staying power.”
Universal also took third place with “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” which audiences continued to seek out in theatres, although the film is now accessible to rent at home. The animated feature grossed $13.4 million in its fourth weekend, raising its domestic total to $110.3 million.
This weekend, Columbia Pictures’ “A Man Called Otto” expanded to 3,802 theatres, grossing $12.7 million through Sunday and $15 million, including Monday, to finish fourth. The adaptation of “A Man Called Ove,” directed by Marc Forster and starring Tom Hanks, is proving somewhat of a rarity in the theatre industry as an adult-targeted drama that is doing well.
Plane Finished In Top Five
“Plane,” a Lionsgate purchase for North American release, finished the top five with a better-than-expected $10 million in its first three days. Butler plays a pilot whose crash landing on an island is the beginning of his problems in the film. The majority of the passengers are held hostage on the island. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Plane” received positive reviews from 75% of critics.
Sixth place went to “House Party,” the second major new release this weekend, a revival of Reginald Hudlin’s 1990 success that spawned multiple spinoffs. The film, which earned $3.9 million from 1,400 venues through Sunday, was originally meant as a straight-to-HBO Max project, but Warner Bros. switched to a theatrical release as a gesture to audiences and exhibitors eager for new releases. Critics were unimpressed with the R-rated, youth-oriented comedy.
Overall, the three-day box office total is expected to be over $100 million, down from pre-pandemic levels but up 44% from the same weekend last year.
“January will not be the sluggish month we anticipated. “There’s a fantastic mix of films out there that isn’t dominated by ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,'” Dergarabedian added. “Theaters require movies, which the studios provide.”
Avatar Numbers Down Below
Comscore estimates ticket sales for Friday at US and Canadian theatres, with Wednesday through Sunday in parenthesis. The final domestic data will be provided on Monday.
1. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is $31.1 million.
“M3GAN,” $17.9 million, is the second highest-paid film.
3. “The Last Wish of Puss in Boots” is $13.4 million.
“A Man Called Otto,” No. 4 The whole amount is $12.7 million.
5. “Plane,” a $10 million investment.
“House Party” grossed $3.9 million.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” 7th. 2.2 million dollars.
“The Whale” costs $1.5 million.
9. “I Want to Dance With Someone,” The total cost is $1.2 million.
“Waltair Veeraya,” $950,000.
SOURCE – (AP)
